PORTRAIT OF A In her debut art exhibition Raising the Bar, lawyer-turnedartist Judith Milner showcases trailblazing women in the legal profession as inspiration to young female lawyers.
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hat started as a cherished hobby has now developed into a new career for Judith Milner (1996). She studied art and art history as a senior Dio student and seriously considered pursuing a fine arts degree. Instead, Judith opted for a somewhat more secure career path and gained an LLB (Hons) and a BA in psychology and art history from the University of Auckland. After 13 years practising law (at Russell McVeagh and Spark), she’s left the field to pursue her love of art. Judith specialises in both portraiture and figurative paintings that explore themes of memory, connection and a sense of belonging. She’s exhibited in several group shows, been commissioned by the Auckland Foundation’s Women’s Fund Charitable Trust for a site-specific portrait exhibition and been a finalist in various art awards. In 2021, Judith won the Michael Evans Figurative Award in the Walker and Hall Art Awards for her painting ‘Pink Summer’. She’s also been a finalist in the 2021 Hawkes Bay Art Awards and in the 2021 Kumeu Art awards – achievements that have helped validate her decision to leave law and pursue her passion for art.
CHANGING ATTITUDES TO WOMEN IN LAW Judith Milner
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DIO TODAY
Judith’s first solo exhibition called ‘Raising the Bar’ ran during April at